How to move your shop from Craftsy

* This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure for more info. *

I’ll walk you through the steps to moving your information from your listing into a format that you can use to import into Etsy, Shopify or the shop of your choice.

These simple steps will help you get past a lot of frustration later! It will take time to do, but so worth it in the end.

So, you may have been one of the lucky ones who received an email with the following message:

Hi Designers,

As we near the end of 2018, we’re looking forward to continuing to create exceptional experiences for talented pattern designers like you. Over the years, we’ve received many suggestions for improvement from designers and members alike, and we are taking the first steps in re-shaping our marketplace now. While we do so, we will be significantly reducing the number of stores and patterns available on our site at the end of 2018, to surface those best loved by our community.

Good news: you’ve been identified as a top designer on Craftsy! We love your work and we are excited to continue to share it. We thank you. Please note, in some cases, we were not able to include all patterns from all stores that are remaining on our site, so after Friday, 12/28, you may see the selection of patterns on your store reduced. Also, pattern upload will be temporarily disabled on all stores until later in 2019, as we revamp our marketplace and make it a more inspirational destination. Apologies for any disruption this may cause.

Nothing like a friendly email to get you all tangled up and bent out of shape!

Before you click the delete button on all your patterns, or have a nervous breakdown setting up a whole new shop— this instant. Let’s work through a few things that will make your life a lot easier later on.

You’ll be moving your shop to a temporary platform that you can house your information, making it easier to move later on.

At this point, spending the hours it will take to move everything over to a new platform during the holidays just won’t work.

So, keeping these tasks simple and to the point is what’s needed. No extra stuff here.

4- right click on the image, click on open link in new tab. (this allows you to not have to wait for screens to refresh and such.

5- click and hold the button down right before: Pattern Details. Drag your mouse and highlight all the info you are needing to copy. When you have it highlighted. Right click the mouse again. Click on COPY.

6- go to your google spreadsheet file and click the cell where you want the information to be. DO NOT PASTE INTO THE CELL DIRECTLY! After choosing your cell, go to right above the columns letters, right after Fx- it’s where the content shows up after it’s already there….THIS IS where you will want to right click and paste.

—>this forces the information to be in one cell instead of 10 different cells with each sentence being in it’s own! What a pain to edit later!

It will look something like this:

PATTERN DETAILSKeep your fabric organized with a bundle wrap.3 Designs- 2 of each design includedPrint on paperCut in between the strips to separate themFold fabricWrap the strip around the fabric, secure with tapeWrite in box notes about the fabricGreat for keeping track of –designer of fabricfabric lineamount of fabricproject it is being used forSave on your own computer to use any time.Find more tutorials and printables like this on the site: https://patchworkposse.com

BASIC SKILLS NECESSARYfabric folding

SIZING / FINISHED MEASUREMENTS1 1/2″ X 8″

7- Copy / paste URL link I would also suggest that if you are mentioning a specific blog post or link / url in the listing — copy that and place it in the spreadsheet as well.

You’ll be updating your blog post to change where you are directing readers to go for the pattern or download. This will happen later, but having the link on your spreadsheet will help find that page a lot quicker down the road.

Now, you will want to move a little bit of this information around – you can do that now or later.

You’ll want the description in one column, the name in one column, the price in one column (you can make note of this manually)

You are placing the information in the google sheets file so you can then export this later- and import it into a new shop. Either Etsy or Shopify. You may have to move a column to get it into the right order for the shop you are importing to, but it will save a lot of time typing or copying and pasting later.

Copy / Paste or SAVE your Images:

1- return to the listing page. Click on the image. It will go to a new black out screen and then one image will enlarge.

2- right click on the image- click on SAVE IMAGES AS….then you can choose the file where you want the image to be placed on your computer and file.

*you may have these already! If you do, you do not need to do this again.

4- Repeat with any additional images that you may have in the listing.

REVIEWS:

If you have any reviews, I would copy / paste these as well (you can note them on the google doc)

They belong to your product, I think it’s ok to take them with you.

After looking over the listing and copy / paste any additional information you need, you can close the listing.

*you don’t need to do this yet, but here is the process when you are ready to move over.

How to download your google spreadsheet as a csv file.

1- Click the File tab at the top of the window.

2- Click the Download As option, then select the Comma-separated values option. (csv)

The .csv version of your Sheets file will then download in your browser and you are free to edit or share it as needed. Note that the file will no longer be linked to the version of the spreadsheet in Google Drive.

Download purchase history:

You made the sale, Craftsy does share the email of those buyers with you. Feel free to download them and import them into your email provider.

You can then send those buyers a quick email noting the change of your shop, what you are doing to move things, where you can be found for now, (mention that Craftsy should have their past purchase pdf’s on file, however you recommend them going and downloading those if Craftsy does remove them)

1- click on my dashboard

2- click on pattern purchase history

3- use the filter dropdown boxes to choose the download file dates

4- click on download purchase history

5- you can then upload this csv file into your email provider and build a list. If asked, click on yes, you have permission (they gave Craftsy and your shop permission to have their email already)

Import CSV file to Etsy:

Etscsv has a formatted csv file you can download, then copy / paste or edit your file so they are the same and Etsy will read it properly. There is a free version as well as paid (which includes images as well)

Import CSV file to Shopify:

This is the help page with all the info and breakdown of steps to take, with video as well. Import csv to Shopify

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If you are looking to move your shop over to Shopify, I offer a 7 week course: Create a Shop. It’ll take you from the basics to making quick and simple changes to expanding with apps. You’ll also learn about shop customizations, shipping, emails, promotions, reviews and more. Expanding your shop so it works for you. It’s a little techie, but with the support of me and the other members, you’ll have help with whatever you need.

Find more info and to sign up for the wait list (we are starting mid January)